I am taking this question on behalf of Deputy Carthy.

Sentiment score: 0.00

It is very welcome that this issue is under consideration and forms part of the Minister's engagement with the Department of Enterprise, Tourism and Employment. This issue is impacting rural communities in particular. The lack of tourist accommodation, be it hotel, hostel accommodation or other kinds of accommodation such as glamping pods, is hampering economic development and economic diversification in rural areas that come under the remit of the Minister. It is also adding to the rural housing crisis that is of concern for many Departments. It is of concern to all of us here in the House but it has a particular resonance with the Minister's responsibilities. The move to short-term lets because of the absence of suitable hotel accommodation in many areas is having a disproportionate impact on those rural and coastal communities that are already under huge housing pressure. I am thinking of Gaeltacht areas such as Ardmore in my constituency. The measures that were announced a number of weeks ago to address the mushrooming of short-term lettings do not cater for towns such as Dungarvan and Tramore that are under the 20,000 threshold. We need to see action on this. I welcome that there is an understanding of the seriousness of the situation but we need to see action.

Sentiment score: 0.01

The Minister is right that the attractions are there. The greenways are of really high standard and the greenway in Waterford is a classic example. Unfortunately, the availability of tourist accommodation has not kept pace. On top of that we also see the use of tourist accommodation, and particularly hotels, for the State's responses to the various refugee crisis over the years. The Minister for justice has signalled a move away from that approach in the coming time. There is a concern, however, that many of the hotels that have been used will not return to tourist accommodation. There are examples of that in Dungarvan and in other areas. There has also been no recognition for the economic impact of the loss of tourist accommodation. We have the community recognition fund, for example, and many great things have come from that scheme, but there is no similar scheme to address the enterprise loss or the difficulties that have been experienced because of the loss of tourist accommodation. Perhaps it could be a conversation worth having between the Minister and the Minister for Enterprise, Tourism and Employment, Deputy Peter Burke, to see if a similar scheme could operate on that basis that would somehow support this tourist accommodation coming back on stream when possible to do so, and that there would be some recognition for those tourism operators and people operating in that space who have lost business over the last years.

Sentiment score: -0.10